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Life for ten-year-old Astra Hal isn’t easy. She lives in abject poverty, all but abandoned by her family – except her mother – who lives in a pill and whiskey induced stupor. When a strange woman appears at the door of her dilapidated apartment claiming to be part of an organisation called the Sigma, and that Astra has been monitored her whole, short life, and is their perfect candidate, she’s dubious. It means leaving her mother, and that’s something she really doesn’t want to do. She’s told that ultimately, she has no choice, and so, reluctantly, she’s initiated into the mysterious group named The Ruffians.
Hendric Sanjor is the oldest son of the European Representative, Madam Morena Sanjor. When his mother is apparently framed for loosing a deadly pandemic on the globe, he’ll stop at nothing to clear her name. Astra is sent to investigate the allegations, and soon teams up with Hendric to get to the bottom of what is happening. As they traverse the murky world of political espionage and assassination attempts, they both suffer tragedies and have their worlds rent asunder by bombshell revelations.
Ruffian is a futuristic, dystopian thriller, filled with quick witted banter and adrenaline fuelled action. Barko paints a clear picture from the very first chapter – you can almost taste the despair and poverty from Astra’s childhood home. You can see the murky, London fog, and feel the biting cold that permeates her entire life. At the same time, you can practically hear the affluence of Hendric’s world, feel the thick carpet under your feet and smell the rich scent perfuming the air. You’re transported into each scene, feeling the tension and seeing the action unfold before your eyes.
My only criticism would be the conversations and interactions between the characters. We flip between Astra and Hendric’s point of view in different chapters, and although they’re excellent at describing their surroundings, they’re not quite so adept at describing their emotions (with the exception of Astra poignantly describing her grief) or appearance. Their conversations are also somewhat convoluted – using verbal gymnastics when they’re chatting. It just didn’t scream ‘teenager’ to me – or maybe that’s because Hendric is privileged and Astra has been taught how to blend into any scenario linguistically. Perhaps if they used less superfluous language, the conversations would be more relatable.
All in all, a great book – with a clever insight into the cut-throat world of politics, and a frighteningly familiar landscape; a world in the throes of a deadly pandemic which is restricting travel and shutting down shops and businesses. Perhaps it’s a warning of what’s to come with lab created viruses and the ambitions of politicians who will stoop as low as they need in order to reach their goals.
S. A.
Originally published on Reedsy Discovery as part of their ARC program. You can read that review here.
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